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Why Do Major Medical Associations Oppose Conversion Therapy?
Because the science is settled. Every leading medical and mental health authority in the United States has reviewed the evidence on conversion therapy and reached the same conclusion: it does not work, and it causes harm. There is no reputable national health body that endorses the practice. That level of agreement across independent organizations is rare, and it tells you something.
This page gathers the actual positions of four of those authorities, with a direct link to each primary statement, so you can read them for yourself rather than take anyone's word for it. For the broader context, start with our Education Hub.
Last Updated: July 2026
The Short Answer
Three findings run through every one of these statements:
Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is not a disorder, so there is nothing to cure.
There is no credible evidence that therapy, counseling, or programs can change a person's orientation or identity.
There is evidence of harm, including depression, anxiety, and heightened suicide risk.
The organizations below arrived at that conclusion separately, using their own reviews of the research. Here is what each says.
American Psychological Association (APA)
The American Psychological Association has concluded that efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity are unsupported by science and carry a risk of harm. In 2021, its governing body passed two formal resolutions opposing these change efforts for both adults and young people. The APA points to peer-reviewed research linking the practice to distress and elevated suicide risk.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The American Academy of Pediatrics has described reparative approaches as unsuccessful, harmful, and, in its words, "unfair and deceptive." Its 2018 policy statement, reaffirmed in 2023, calls instead for nonjudgmental, gender-affirming care and notes that these young people face high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide when they are stigmatized rather than supported.
American Medical Association (AMA)
The American Medical Association opposes the use of reparative or conversion therapy, a position first approved in 1997 and reaffirmed in 2018. The AMA has gone further than a statement: it drafted model state legislation, the Protecting Minors from Conversion Therapy Act, to help states ban the practice by licensed professionals.
Read it: AMA conversion therapy issue brief
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the leading physician authority on children's mental health, found no evidence to support any intervention premised on LGBTQ identities being pathological. Its 2018 policy states that conversion therapies lack scientific credibility and clinical utility, that there is evidence they are harmful, and that they should not be part of any behavioral health treatment of children or adolescents.
Read it: AACAP policy on conversion therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
Do any major medical organizations support conversion therapy?
No. No major national medical or mental health organization in the United States endorses conversion therapy. The practice is opposed by every leading authority, including the APA, AAP, AMA, AACAP, etc.
Which medical organizations oppose conversion therapy?
Opponents include the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and SAMHSA, along with the American Psychiatric Association, the American College of Physicians, and the National Association of Social Workers.
Why do doctors say conversion therapy is harmful?
Medical organizations point to three findings: being LGBTQ is not a disorder, there is no evidence the practice can change orientation or identity, and there is evidence it causes harm, including depression, anxiety, and increased suicide risk.
What does the American Psychological Association say about conversion therapy?
The American Psychological Association concluded that sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts are unsupported by science and pose a risk of harm, and in 2021 it passed two formal resolutions opposing the practice.
What does SAMHSA say about conversion therapy?
SAMHSA, the federal behavioral health agency, concluded in a 2023 report that change efforts are harmful, ineffective, and inappropriate, and should never be provided to youth, urging support and affirmation instead.
Is conversion therapy banned anywhere?
Yes. Nearly 30 U.S. states protect minors from conversion therapy by licensed professionals, and United Nations experts have called for a global ban on the practice.
If you or someone you love is struggling: In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or reach The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386. Support is available 24 hours a day.